


The Creative Art of Subterfuge

by enigmaticblue



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-15
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2018-01-01 14:53:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony thinks he knows Bruce well enough to know when Bruce is hiding something, and he’s sure it’s a big something, which is the problem with having a genius as a best friend—he’s all too good at hiding his tracks. Too bad for Bruce that Tony finds that kind of sneakiness both wildly attractive and a challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Creative Art of Subterfuge

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the trope_bingo prompt "friends to lovers/friends with benefits".

Normally, Tony doesn’t answer Fury’s requests for his presence, just on general principle. He’s a consultant who’s waived his fee, after all; he isn’t at anybody’s beck and call.

 

But then Fury had said, “You and your new best friend can work on it together.”

 

“Bruce?”

 

“Just get down here and see what you can do,” Fury orders. “I want this guy caught yesterday.”

 

It makes sense that Fury would ask Tony to consult on this project, since it involves digging into the background of a wannabe supervillain who used to work for Stark Industries. Tony isn’t quite so sure what Bruce has to bring to the table, other than his usual brilliance, and he has no idea why Bruce would be in town without so much as a word to Tony of his presence.

 

Finding out why Bruce hasn’t contacted him is reason enough to go to SHIELD HQ, even if Fury’s little project hadn’t been.

 

Of course, Fury sends an agent to escort him to his office, and then keeps him there for over an hour. No matter how many times Tony tries to tell him that he has all the information he needs to make a start on it, Fury insists on telling him all about Corbin Hewes and his yen for taking over the world.

 

“I can hack into his account no problem,” Tony says, interrupting Fury.

 

“He knows you, and he’s going to be expecting you,” Fury snaps. “So, you’ll listen to what we’ve managed to dig up, and then you’ll get Banner to help you, because he’s making my people nervous.”

 

Tony frowns. “Why would Bruce be making people nervous? He has the Hulk under control.”

 

“Tell that to everybody he’s freaking out,” Fury growls. “Take care of it, Stark. He likes you for some unknown reason.”

 

Tony wonders about that, considering that Bruce hadn’t bothered to tell him that he was in town. Tony’s wondering if maybe he managed to piss Bruce off the last time he was in town, so much that he doesn’t want to see Tony while he’s in New York.

 

“I’ll see what I can do,” Tony says, not promising anything.

 

Although that’s mostly because Tony never promises Fury _anything_ if he can manage it.

 

“I’ll have one of the agents show you to the lab Banner’s using,” Fury says, and hands Tony a flash drive. “See what you two can do with that.”

 

At least Tony has an excuse to see Bruce this way, and he can feel Bruce out, figure out what’s going on, and maybe make up for whatever he did to chase Bruce off.

 

He follows the young agent down the hall and then up a flight of stairs, and immediately sees a couple of people in lab coats hovering outside the door.

 

Tony smirks. “I’ll take it from here.”

 

The agent’s expression is patently relieved. “Good luck, Mr. Stark.”

 

Tony’s eyebrows go up, and he slips inside the lab. When he sees Bruce, he comes right out with it. “Should I be worried? Because everybody else seems to be worried.”

 

Bruce whirls, looking a little spooked. “What? Tony?”

 

“Fury called me in to help you deal with this Corbin Hewes problem. He wants me to get your input,” Tony explains. “Is this a bad time?”

 

Bruce squares his shoulders. “No, come on in.”

 

“There any reason you have people hovering outside the door?” Tony asks.

 

A faint smirk graces Bruce’s face. “No.”

 

Tony doesn’t believe him, mostly because Bruce is capable of being nearly invisible, self-effacing, and non-threatening. He hasn’t had an incident in well over a year, and there is absolutely no reason for SHIELD scientists to be scared of him, unless Bruce wants them to be.

 

That, combined with the fact that Bruce hadn’t come by to see Tony begs the question of what he’s up to.

 

Tony will let it ride for now, though. He trusts Bruce, and he figures the other man is due a few secrets when the army and SHIELD have proven themselves entirely capable of ignoring his need for privacy.

 

While he might inflict his secrets on Bruce, there are times when he knows not to pry. At least, not when Tony’s still hoping that he can talk Bruce into bed with him, and talk him into giving up his secrets voluntarily.

 

“You up for a little hacking?” Tony asks. “I have an ex-employee who wants to take over the world, and Fury seems to think he’ll be ready for me.”

 

“Is anybody ever ready for you?” Bruce counters.

 

Tony shrugs. “Try telling that to Fury.”

 

“I’ll pass,” Bruce replies. “I try to avoid talking to Fury as much as possible.”

 

“The benefits of having a greener half,” Tony jokes, relieved when Bruce grins at him.

 

He’s not getting the sense that Bruce has a problem with him, so Tony pushes it out of his mind for the moment. Tony can figure out what Bruce is up to later.

 

Right now, they’ll focus on stopping Hewes.

 

“It’s a silver lining,” Bruce agrees. When Bruce gets closer, he holds his hand out for the flash drive. “Let’s see what we can do, huh?”

 

Tony glances at the screen behind Bruce and sees nothing but a generic screensaver of the sort that comes with pretty much every PC on the market. “You’d think I would have been able to talk Fury into Stark computers by now,” Tony complains.

 

“You build backdoors into Stark tech, and everybody knows it,” Bruce replies, sounding amused.

 

Tony shrugs. “Not _everybody_ knows that.”

 

“But SHIELD does.”

 

“SHIELD seems to think that I don’t have a way into any technology but my own,” Tony replies with a patently insincere smile.

 

Since Bruce laughs at that, Tony counts it a job well done.

 

For the moment, anyway, Tony has his best friend back. He’s going to enjoy it.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce hadn’t intended on avoiding Tony forever. In fact, he’d thought if he could finish his current project, he could drop in, hang out for a few days, and be off to his next humanitarian mission—or something.

 

Really, Bruce just wanted to avoid distractions while he’s finishing his project, and if he’s anything, Tony is definitely a distraction. Unfortunately, it looks like Fury’s taking that decision out of Bruce’s hands.

 

He’ll just have to do two things at once, that’s all—work on his own problem, and figure out how to deal with Corbin Hewes. From what he can tell, the latter problem will be the easier one to solve, if only because he and Tony are working on it together.

 

“Hewes is a grade-A asshole,” Tony says. “I had to let him go because he was suspected of taking proprietary information.”

 

“And now he wants to challenge you,” Bruce supplies. “SHIELD thinks he has way too much information on your cutting edge robotics and artificial intelligence systems.”

 

Tony waves that off. “Remember the backdoors? There isn’t anything that Hewes would have had access to that doesn’t have a fail safe or a backdoor.”

 

“Small favors,” Bruce says.

 

“Hey, I’m careful about this sort of thing,” Tony protests. “And I knew Hewes wasn’t the best bet.”

 

“Then why did you hire him?” Bruce asks.

 

Tony shrugs. “He was smart, and he was the best hire I could make for a project at the time. Unfortunately, sometimes an asshole is the best man for the job.”

 

“Let this be a lesson to you,” Bruce intones, although he spoils the remonstration with a grin.

 

Tony smirks. “A lesson in being sneaky?”

 

That reminds Bruce of just what he’s supposed to be hiding, and he grimaces.

 

“What?” Tony demands.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “Just a thought that occurred to me.”

 

“What thought?”

 

Tony would ask him that; it’s a good thing Bruce is good at thinking on his feet. “If you have fail safes, I think I can get in the backdoor.”

 

Tony doesn’t look like he believes him, but he eventually nods and lets it go. “Let’s see you work your magic.”

 

If Bruce were getting ready to take over the world, he’d stay off the grid, and he would certainly avoid putting any information on anything but an independent server with no outside access.

 

Then again, if Bruce were planning on taking over the world, he wouldn’t post a manifesto online stating that heroes were just villains on the right side of history, and he’d show everybody he was right.

 

It’s probably a good thing Bruce has no intention of using his powers for evil.

 

“How smart was this guy?” Bruce asks.

 

“I only hire the best,” Tony replies. “Why?”

 

“Because his setup rivals yours, and I’m pretty sure he’s found all your backdoors and fail safes and plugged the holes,” Bruce replies, typing rapidly. “And then some.”

 

Tony frowns. “Move over.”

 

Bruce gladly makes room for him. “Be my guest.”

 

Tony begins work, and Bruce just leans back and watches, remembering why he finds Tony so distracting. Tony’s long, elegant fingers move over the keyboard, looking for holes in Hewes’ code.

 

“Hello? What’s this?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce leans in, and says, “No, Tony, wait—”

 

But it’s too late, and Tony triggers the trap that Hewes had set for him.

 

Look like Fury had been right this time around—Hewes had been ready for Tony.

 

“Fuck,” Tony swears. “He had a fucking Trojan waiting for me.”

 

“This is what you get for being impatient,” Bruce says.

 

Tony doesn’t bother looking at him. “Really? You’re going with ‘I told you so?’”

 

“If the shoe fits,” Bruce replies, and shoulders Tony out of the way. “Hang on, I know how to do this.”

 

Tony moves over to let Bruce give it a shot. He’s been looking into Trojans lately, knowing that it might be necessary to deal with his other project.

 

Bruce might not be a criminal mastermind, but he’s been working on a few new skills.

 

Hewes is clever, and he’s working off of Tony’s programming, which gives him an edge, but Bruce is smarter, and he’s infinitely more paranoid.

 

“I’m in,” Bruce announces.

 

“How the hell did you manage that?” Tony asks. “I didn’t think this was something you did.”

 

Bruce smirks at him. “There are a lot of things I can do that you don’t know about.”

 

“You could always give me a personal demonstration,” Tony suggests.

 

“Maybe one of these days,” Bruce says noncommittally. “Right now, let’s just focus on the job.”

 

Tony laughs. “That’s a little hard to do when you have a really hot guy being completely brilliant, you know.”

 

Bruce glances at him, uncertain as to whether Tony is just flirting, the way he does with about anybody he likes, or if he’s taking it to the next level.

 

Either way, Bruce doesn’t have time for it.

 

“Since it’s my natural state, you’ll just have to push past it,” Bruce replies, not wanting to shut Tony down completely, just for right now.

 

“Difficult, but not impossible,” Tony says. “But once we’ve got Hewes, I’m going to bring it up again.”

 

That’s kind of what Bruce is afraid of, considering that he has other things going on that are demanding his attention. “You can bring it up,” he allows.

 

“But am I going to get any joy?” Tony asks.

 

“I don’t know,” Bruce replies. “We make it through this in one piece—and I get my other project done—maybe.”

 

“Anything I can help with?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce shrugs casually. “Not really your area of expertise. It’s more mine.”

 

“Let me know,” Tony says easily.

 

“Sure,” Bruce replies, although he has no intention of doing so. Tony probably could help him, but Bruce likes him too much to drag Tony into this mess. They’ll finish this project, Bruce will work on his own thing on the side, and then maybe they’ll take things a little further.

 

“Hey, you know if you need a place to stay when you’re in town…” Tony says, offering an open invitation.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “My work is going to keep me here. Fury offered me quarters.”

 

“So, is that where you’ve been staying?” Tony asks, and Bruce doesn’t think he’s mistaking the hurt in Tony’s voice.

 

“Just until I get this project done,” Bruce says. “I was going to come see you as soon as it was over.”

 

Tony frowns at him, and then nods slowly. “Yeah, sure. Okay. After.”

 

Somehow, Bruce knows that’s not the end of Tony’s questions. It’s just tabled for now.

 

“There,” Bruce says triumphantly. “I’m in, and now we have a backdoor that’s permanently open.”

 

Tony grins. “Now we can really get down to business.”

 

~~~~~

 

The thing with Hewes gets wrapped up fairly quickly after that. Bruce’s backdoor gives them the chance to get in, get the information they need to pass on to SHIELD, and get out without anyone being the wiser.

 

Tony tries to talk Bruce into coming back to the Tower with him once they’ve sent their report to Fury.

 

“I have more work to do,” Bruce says. “I’ll stay here tonight.”

 

“You sure?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce shrugs. “I’ll let you know when I’m free.”

 

Tony knows _something_ is going on, and he’s a little worried. Bruce is being unusually sneaky, he’s apparently picked up some mad hacking skills, and he’s refusing to stay at the Tower.

 

No, instead, Bruce is staying at SHIELD HQ, and he _hates_ hanging out at SHIELD. The few times Bruce had needed to visit the infirmary after a battle, he’d managed to disappear just as soon as he could.

 

So, yeah, Tony is worried, because whatever Bruce is doing, it’s big, and probably dangerous, and he seems intent on doing it alone. Tony figures he has three choices: he can wait for Bruce to come to him, he can ferret out the truth on his own, or he can take steps to make sure that if something does happen to Bruce, Tony will be able to protect him.

 

Tony is just going to have to be tricky about it, that’s all.

 

He’s built a few toys for the rest of the Avengers, and he’s been tinkering with one for Bruce for a while, wanting to give Bruce some protection when he’s out on the road if he happens to transform unexpectedly. He can finish up the project and present it to Bruce without Bruce knowing everything it does.

 

Bruce might have his suspicions, because he’s one of the most paranoid people Tony knows, but Tony hopes Bruce will trust him enough to accept it.

 

One of the scientists who’s working down the hall from Bruce owes Tony a favor, and everybody at headquarters knows Bruce’s whereabouts pretty much all the time.

 

Apparently, Bruce hasn’t stopped scaring people. Considering that he normally goes out of his way to avoid that sort of thing, it’s one more item on the list of things that indicate something weird is going down.

 

Tony makes sure to show up right around dinnertime with a bag of takeout from a Lebanese restaurant near HQ. He has no idea if Bruce likes Lebanese food, but Bruce isn’t picky, so Tony’s willing to risk it.

 

Bruce startles when Tony enters the room, his hands gripping the workbench. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Thought you might be hungry,” Tony replies. “And if Mohammed won’t come to the mountain, etcetera.”

 

The smile on Bruce’s face is payment enough. “And who’s the mountain in this situation?”

 

“Probably you,” Tony teases. “At least if we’re talking about your alter ego.”

 

“What have you got there?” Bruce asks.

 

“Lebanese,” Tony says. “I decided to take a chance.”

 

Bruce’s eyes light up. “Did you get any _fatayer sabanekh_?”

 

“I might have,” Tony replies. “What are you going to give me?”

 

Bruce raises an eyebrow. “My undying gratitude?”

 

“I suppose that’s a start,” Tony agrees, putting the bag on the table. “Just as long as I can get a tangible expression of that gratitude once you’re done with whatever it is you’re doing.”

 

Bruce doesn’t reply, pulling the bag towards him and digging around, quickly finding the one with the spinach turnovers.

 

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten?” Tony asks. “Do I need to show up with food at regular intervals? Because I will.”

 

Bruce shakes his head. “I just forgot to eat lunch today is all.”

 

“Good thing I happened to drop by, then,” Tony replies.

 

Bruce rolls his eyes, his mouth full of pastry.

 

Tony digs into the chicken kebabs and accompanying garlic sauce. “I’m just saying that you need me.”

 

Bruce swallows his mouthful of food. “Like a hole in the head.”

 

“See, I might be hurt except I know you don’t mean that,” Tony says, pointing his kebab at Bruce. “Especially when you see my present.”

 

“You didn’t need to get me a present,” Bruce protests.

 

Tony shrugs. “It’s just something I’ve been working on for a while to give you a cushion.”

 

“For when I fall on my ass?” Bruce asks, amused.

 

“That’s one way to put it,” Tony replies. “Finish your food, and I’ll show you.”

 

“There’s way too much food for two people,” Bruce protests.

 

Tony shrugs. “Leftovers. Maybe you’ll actually eat lunch tomorrow.”

 

“Maybe I will,” Bruce agrees.

 

They make a considerable dent in the food, but there’s still enough left to at least ensure that Bruce has a decent lunch—assuming Bruce remembers to eat it.

 

And if Pepper could see him, she’d laugh her ass off, because if Tony’s the responsible adult, hell is probably freezing over right now.

 

“That was great, but I really should get back to work,” Bruce says regretfully once he’s slowed down. “As much as I’d rather hang out with you.”

 

That sounds sincere, and Tony grins at him. “Well, maybe this will ease the sting of my departure.”

 

He pushes the small box towards Bruce, who looks skeptical. “No offense, but I don’t think we’re at a proposal quite yet, Tony.”

 

Tony laughs. “Open it.”

 

Bruce opens the box and stares, lifting out the black wristband Tony had created. “Uh…so this isn’t what I expected.”

 

“It stretches,” Tony explains. “So it will stay on even when you transform.”

 

“To make a fashion statement?” Bruce hazards.

 

Tony smiles. “There’s an emergency beacon you can activate that will give you immediate access to Jarvis,” he explains. “And I’ll be there with whatever you need, including food, money, and clothes.”

 

Bruce smiles. “Thanks.”

 

“And there’s a pocket,” Tony explains. “On the inside.”

 

Bruce gives him a strange look. “Okay.” He flips the wristband inside out and finds the pocket and the square of plastic. “What’s this?”

 

“Press your thumb in the middle,” Tony says, and he’s particularly proud of this little innovation.

 

The card unfolds, and it’s solid black with no identifying characteristics. Bruce flips it over. “This looks like a credit card.”

 

“Indeed, it is,” Tony says. “Keyed to your thumbprint. If something happened, and you needed some ready cash, that will work in any ATM in the world.”

 

Bruce blinks at it. “And it’s activated by my thumbprint.”

 

“I’m working on a way to market that to other credit card companies,” Tony admits. “It’s a prototype, but it works.”

 

“Your prototypes almost always work,” Bruce murmurs. “Tony, this is too much.”

 

“No, it’s just enough to make sure that if you ever need me, you can reach me, even if you wind up naked in the middle of nowhere without pants or identification,” Tony replies.

 

Bruce gives him a sharp look, as though he suspects there’s more to Tony’s gift than he’s saying, but Tony isn’t going to tell Bruce that as long as he’s wearing it, Tony will be able to find him. “Thanks. Really, Tony. Thank you. It means a lot that you would go to the trouble.”

 

“No trouble,” Tony insists. “I’m kind of invested in keeping you in one piece.”

 

Bruce slides the wristband over his right hand, and it fits snugly, appearing to be just a black leather bracelet.

 

“Looks good,” Tony says.

 

Bruce hitches a shoulder. “Yeah. So, I feel like a real dick doing this, but—”

 

“Work calls,” Tony replies. “See you soon?”

 

Bruce smiles. “I guess you will if you show up with more food. I’m sure you’ll call first.”

 

“Oh, I have my sources,” Tony assures him. “Tell me if you need anything. I mean that.”

 

Bruce nods, running his fingers over the wristband. “Yeah, I will.”

 

And Tony knows that the sentiment had been enough to overcome Bruce’s natural suspicions. He’d feel guilty about that, except that he means everything that wristband represents.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce is well aware that Tony isn’t telling him everything. He’s pretty sure there are features to the gift he’s unaware of, and he’s fairly sure that it’s essentially Tony’s way of lo-jacking him.

 

Then again, Bruce trusts Tony, and it never hurts to have backup, especially when entering the lion’s den, and he doesn’t have the time to figure out what Tony’s game is, or what else the wristband might do—or if Tony’s going to use this to track his every movement.

 

Come to think of it, Tony is _definitely_ going to use it to track his every movement, and Bruce is okay with that. That’s probably not something he _should_ be okay with, but this is Tony, and Bruce finds it weirdly comforting.

 

If you’ve got Tony Stark in your corner, you don’t have to be afraid of much, Bruce has discovered. He’s seen for himself just how far Tony will go for the people he cares about.

 

And besides, Bruce can always just not wear it.

 

Right now, though, he has a looming deadline, because if he can’t find a way to stop the Army from completing their project, they’re going to have a lot more problems on their hands than Bruce occasionally losing control.

 

Now that the whole world knows about superheroes, there will be plenty of people signing up to get superpowers, and the Army won’t have a shortage of volunteers, which means more ticking time bombs.

 

Fury had actually been the one to tell Bruce what the Army was trying to do, and that Betty Ross was involved. “I don’t have the authority to shut it down,” Fury had explained. “And my guess is that someone on the World Security Council gave Ross the green light, although I haven’t been able to get a straight answer on that.”

 

“You want it shut down,” Bruce had replied.

 

“Thoroughly,” Fury agreed. “You have all the resources of SHIELD at your disposal. Just don’t get caught.”

 

Bruce had raised his eyebrows. “What happens if I get caught?”

 

“Nothing good, I’m sure,” Fury replied. “Although since you’re known as something of a loose cannon, you might get away with it.”

 

And that conversation is a big part of the reason that Bruce isn’t going to involve Tony.

 

As far as he can tell, his best bet is to plant a Trojan that will wipe out all the research, one that will automatically download itself anytime someone accesses any of the files, and then wipe them out at a set time.

 

It’s a complicated piece of sabotage, and Bruce isn’t the hacker that Tony is, so there’s been a steep learning curve, made even steeper by the fact that Bruce is somehow going to have to sneak onto the Army base to upload the program.

 

Bruce figures he’s about as ready as he’s ever going to be, which means he needs a ride.

 

He sends a message to Fury, and then heads to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and a sandwich. By the time he gets back to his lab, Clint is sitting on a stool, idly rotating the seat, and he grins when he sees Bruce. “Hear you need a ride, doc.”

 

“I thought Fury didn’t want to be involved,” Bruce protests.

 

Clint shrugs. “Fury isn’t involved, and I’m going that way anyway.”

 

“I’m guessing I’m on my own for a ride back here,” Bruce replies.

 

“Well, you could call your BFF,” Clint jokes.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “I want to keep Tony out of this.”

 

Clint shrugs. “Good luck with that.”

 

“When do we leave?” Bruce asks.

 

“When do you want to leave?”

 

Bruce hitches a shoulder. “Now?”

 

“I can leave in an hour,” Clint offers.

 

An hour won’t make much difference, and Bruce agrees. “That will work.

 

Clint nods. “Look, doc, you need to get out of a tight space, you call me. I don’t care what Fury said. You’re team.”

 

Bruce hears “family” when Clint says “team,” and it makes him nervous. If this goes south, and Clint gets caught in the crossfire, it will be Bruce’s fault.

 

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” Clint says. “My choice, okay? I’m sure Tony would back you up, too.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Bruce says, but doesn’t say anything else.

 

He knows he’s being stubborn about this, but the super soldier serum has destroyed everything it’s touched, other than Steve.  Bruce wants to make sure that it doesn’t touch Tony.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony has a backdoor into SHIELD, and has since Fury put the band together; after the WSC nearly nuked Manhattan, he feels that it’s even more important to keep an eye on things.

 

And now, this thing with Bruce makes Tony even more grateful that he’s on top of whatever goes on in SHIELD, because he’s not going to let anything happen to Bruce.

 

Which is why, when Jarvis says, “Sir, it appears that Dr. Banner is heading west. Would you like me to keep you apprised of his position?”

 

“Yeah, J,” Tony replies. “Is anybody with him?”

 

“It appears that Agent Barton might be piloting the Quinjet,” Jarvis replies.

 

Tony breathes a sigh of relief. If one of the team is with Bruce, he at least has some backup. “Let me know if anything changes.”

 

After a few hours, Jarvis announces, “Sir, it appears that Dr. Banner is heading for the White Sands testing facility in New Mexico.”

 

Tony narrows his eyes. “New Mexico, huh? Isn’t that where Ross has set up shop?”

 

“Given that General Ross’ projects are considered top secret, and even the locations are considered confidential—”

 

“Give it up, J,” Tony replies.

 

“Yes, it is,” Jarvis replies primly. “May I remind you what will happen if the army discovers that you know of this project?”

 

“No, you may not,” Tony says. “And I’m guessing the same thing is going to happen to Bruce if they find out he’s there. Or worse. How soon can I be there with the suit?”

 

Jarvis pauses. “I estimate that Dr. Banner will arrive at White Sands at least two hours before you do.”

 

Tony drums his fingers on his workbench. He should probably trust that Bruce can handle this; he’s sneaky, and there’s not much that can hurt him.

 

Then again, if something does go wrong, it might be a good idea if Bruce has backup close.

 

“Where’s Clint in all this?” Tony asks.

 

“I believe Agent Barton is heading for Edwards Air Force Base,” Jarvis replies. “At least, that is the direction that the Quinjet is currently heading.”

 

Tony frowns. “He’s just leaving Bruce hanging like that?”

 

“I imagine that whatever Dr. Banner may be up to, SHIELD would like to keep their distance,” Jarvis says. “My data suggests Director Fury is aware of Dr. Banner’s actions, but would like to ensure that SHIELD is not blamed.”

 

“Bastard,” Tony mutters, even though there’s a part of him that admires Fury’s ruthlessness. Fury’s protecting the organization, and Tony’s known for a while that the Hulk is viewed more as a problem that occasionally provides a solution.

 

Well, Bruce might be an acceptable loss to Fury, but he’s not to Tony.

 

“I’m going to White Sands,” Tony announces. “Keep an eye on Bruce, will you? And be ready to call in the others if we need them.”

 

“Of course, sir,” Jarvis replies.

 

And Tony saddles up.

 

~~~~~

 

Sneaking into an army research base is no simple matter, not even for someone like Bruce, who’s done his share of getting into and out of places undetected. It might have been easier if Clint could have flown them directly to White Sands, but that would put Fury’s head on the chopping block. Bruce understands that SHIELD can’t be anywhere near this little mission, but he believes it’s worth the risk.

 

Instead, Clint drops Bruce off at the airport in Roswell, New Mexico, and Bruce isn’t unaware of the irony. He rents a car and drives to White Sand. It’s a big enough base, with enough researchers who aren’t actually military, that Bruce has been able to locate an engineer who’s away on vacation, and who bears a passing resemblance to Bruce.

 

And yeah, if Bruce runs into someone who actually knows Dr. Rick Jones, he’ll be in trouble, but he knows that the odds are in his favor.

 

In this, at least, he has SHIELD’s resources behind him, because he has impeccable documents that should pass muster. The ID card has a slightly fuzzy picture that could be Jones, and could be Bruce, and the first guard waves him through after just a cursory glance.

 

The second guard who stops him pays a little more attention to the photo on the ID, looking from Bruce to the picture and back again.

 

“Bad photo,” Bruce offers with a self-deprecating smile.

 

The guard, whose uniform reads “Ruiz,” laughs. “Happens to the best of us, doc.”

 

“It seems to happen more often to me,” Bruce replies.

 

Ruiz checks his list, and says, “I thought you were supposed to be on leave.”

 

“Work calls,” Bruce replies. “You know how it goes. You think you’ve gotten away clean…”

 

Ruiz laughs. “Yes, sir, I do. Go on through. Try to have a good day.”

 

“I’m definitely going to try,” Bruce replies.

 

It’s late in the afternoon at this point, and Bruce is hoping that there aren’t a lot of people around. The fact that it’s a Friday helps, and as far as he knows, there are still a couple of weeks until the hard deadline. And given what Bruce has seen of their progress, they aren’t at a point where they’re working over weekends or overnights.

 

Bruce’s fake ID gets him into the building, but that alone isn’t going to get him farther than that. For that, Bruce has something he’d created himself—a universal key.

 

If Bruce makes it through this, he’s going to have a lot of fun showing it to Tony, who will definitely appreciate it.

 

The universal key fits under the sleeve of Bruce’s lab coat, and he palms it, knowing that this is the most dangerous part of his plan. The base is large, but the project isn’t; if he’s seen, there’s a good chance they’ll alert the guards that he doesn’t belong there.

 

He gets lucky when he enters the building, because no one is around, and he gets inside without anybody seeing him. Bruce pulls out a tablet he’d gotten from SHIELD—no Stark Pads on Ross’ command—and pretends to focus on the data he’d mined from one of his recent projects.

 

Everything Bruce has discovered says that they’re keeping the data onsite, in the building, as an additional precaution.

 

But even so, all he needs is to find a computer that can access to the server, one belonging to someone who regularly gets into the project files.

 

Bruce keeps his head down and finds a way into the office he’s pretty sure belongs to one of the techs with access. He bypasses their security easily enough, and then uploads the Trojan, making sure that it can’t be traced back to this particular computer.

 

He’s not going to get anybody in trouble for something they didn’t do.

 

Once the Trojan is uploaded, Bruce decides he’s going to stick around long enough to make sure it works, and he goes to another office and accesses the files. He cancels the automatic download, but only because he knows exactly what to look for, and how to stop it.

 

At least he has confirmation that his Trojan is working as planned.

 

Now, he has to get out of the base undetected. If anyone discovers him here, they’ll be looking for sabotage, and they might find it before his computer program has a chance to run.

 

Bruce steps out of the building into the rapidly cooling desert air, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. He sees a few MPs that appear to be heading in his direction, or at least in the direction of the building he’d been in, and he heads towards them, knowing full well that changing direction now would only look suspicious.

 

He takes the natural curve of the path towards another building, doing his best to look as though he knows where he’s going, and like he belongs there.

 

That’s the trick to going unnoticed, Bruce has found, and he’s good at it.

 

He gets to the building and uses his universal key to get in, going straight through the building to the back entrance. Bruce slips outside, intent on getting to his car, wondering if he’ll reach it, or if he’ll be able to leave the base without being stopped.

 

He’s not even sure the MPs are looking for him, and aren’t just on their evening rounds, but Bruce isn’t about to take any chances.

 

Bruce is still thinking about escape contingencies when he hears a familiar sound, and he breathes a curse. He’s definitely going to end up leaving his rental car behind.

 

Tony lands in front of him and flips up the faceplate. “Need a ride?”

 

“I had it handled!” Bruce hisses. “I’m going to have to leave the rental car now.”

 

“I’ll pay for it,” Tony says easily.

 

Bruce rolls his eyes. “Tony, the whole point of this was for me to get out without anybody knowing I was here in the first place. They’re going to figure out what I did.”

 

“I can provide a distraction and join you later,” Tony offers.

 

That’s about their only option at this point if Bruce wants to get away scot-free. “I knew you were going to do this,” he mutters.

 

“Then why did you wear the wristband?” Tony counters.

 

Bruce can’t help the smile that pulls at his lips. “Maybe I don’t mind you following me around. I just think your timing could have been better.”

 

“Probably,” Tony agrees. “Almost always.”

 

Then he surprises the hell out of Bruce by leaning in and planting one on his lips. “I’ll take care of the distraction. You get out of here, and we’ll go hole up in Las Vegas for a while.”

 

“I think I’m supposed to return the car in Roswell,” Bruce protests.

 

Tony snorts. “I’ll pay the fee or whatever. Don’t tell me you have a better offer.”

 

“Even if I did, I wouldn’t take it,” Bruce admits. “Where should I meet you?”

 

“Try the Wynn,” Tony replies. “I hear it’s great. I’ll meet you there.”

 

“Be careful,” Bruce says.

 

Tony grins recklessly. “Always.”

 

“Liar,” Bruce replies, and Tony flies off. Bruce leans against the side of the building, wondering if he’s gone too far or risked too much, but he feels as though they’ve been moving towards this point for a long time.

 

There’s the sound of gunfire, and Bruce hears someone shout, “Wait! That’s Iron Man!”

 

Bruce goes back through the building, knowing that will be less suspicious if he exits through the front doors while everybody is staring at Tony.

 

Not that he’ll admit it, but Bruce _is_ grateful for the distraction. It makes his getaway a lot cleaner.

 

Sure enough, by the time he exits the front of the building, Tony’s still hovering, and no one is shooting at him. They’re all shouting requests for autographs, and questions about New York and the Mandarin, and Bruce just walks right past them. No one gives him a second look.

 

Bruce climbs into his rental and heads for the first checkpoint, his heart in his throat when the guard stops him. “Is it true?” Ruiz asks.

 

He frowns. “Is what true?”

 

“Iron Man is on the base?”

 

Bruce forces a laugh. “Yeah, he is.”

 

“I’m surprised you’re not rubbernecking with the rest of them,” Ruiz replies.

 

Bruce shrugs. “I knew I wasn’t going to get close, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a few TV shows I want to catch up on.”

 

Ruiz laughs. “You and me both. I’m about half a season behind on _Breaking Bad_ , and it’s driving me nuts.”

 

“Is it any good?” Bruce asks.

 

Ruiz happily tells Bruce about how much he loves the TV show, and Bruce listens patiently, although he knows that when the real Dr. Jones comes back from vacation, Ruiz is going to ask whether he’s checking out _Breaking Bad_ , and it’s going to be really obvious that they’re not the same guy.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, doctor,” Ruiz says. “I should let you go.”

 

“Not a problem,” Bruce replies. “It’s always nice to know what show I should binge on next.”

 

Ruiz nods. “Hope you get that vacation.”

 

“Me too,” Bruce replies, grateful that Jones is supposed to be gone for at least two weeks. “Take care.”

 

He passes the outer gate without any trouble, and he has no idea if that’s because no one knows about his intrusion, or if they’re too focused on Tony, or maybe because they figure that Iron Man is taking care of it.

 

From there, Bruce heads out of the base and towards Vegas. Maybe he’s an idiot, but Bruce wants to see this through to the end, and he drives through the night and into morning, stopping a couple of times for gas and coffee.

 

He has a lot of time to think on the drive, a lot of time to rethink his decision. He considers turning around and just disappearing for a while. He gives serious thought to tossing the wristband out of the window once he reaches Vegas and driving right though.

 

Bruce knows he’s probably nuts, and that he and Tony don’t have a chance of working out long term; Tony will get on his last nerve, and Bruce will go green and hurt him.

 

Because isn’t that what Bruce always does? He hurts the people he loves the most. Just look at Betty, who had been roped into this super soldier thing all over again.

 

But oddly enough, that’s what keeps his foot on the gas, and that’s why he pulls the car up in front of the Wynn. He hadn’t brought anything with him other than the clothes on his back, and he feels more than a little grimy as he walks through the front door of the hotel.

 

It’s probably a mark of the professionalism of the concierge, because her smile doesn’t slip for an instant. “How can I help you, sir?”

 

“I, uh, don’t suppose Tony Stark beat me here, did he?” Bruce asks.

 

The concierge’s smile widens, and Bruce glances at her nametag, which reads “Kay.” “You must be Dr. Banner.”

 

Bruce feels a little strange. “Yeah, I am.”

 

“Mr. Stark told me to watch for you,” she says, her bright grin showing her dimples. “He said I should look out for a rumpled academic.”

 

He laughs self-consciously. “Yeah, that would be me, I guess.”

 

“Did the valet park your car, doctor?” she asks. When Bruce nods, she adds, “Very good. I’ll have someone from the rental agency pick it up.”

 

Bruce frowns. “You don’t have to do that.”

 

“All part of the service. You’ll find Mr. Stark on the top floor,” she replies. “Michael will show you the way.”

 

Bruce glances over his shoulder and sees a young man in a suit standing behind him, “This way, Dr. Banner,” Michael says smoothly. “It’s a pleasure to have you with us.”

 

Bruce is beginning to feel a little weird about the service he’s getting; he’s not sure he’s ever been subjected to this level of obsequiousness, and he begins to doubt himself all over again.

 

But this is Tony, and Bruce has seen how he lives most of the time. It’s not like he has an army of staff surrounding him all the time, and Tony tends to treat everybody with the same kind of casual disregard.

 

Unless, of course, he’s flirting, and then Tony’s regard is a little overwhelming, as Bruce well knows.

 

Michael uses a key in the elevator, so it doesn’t stop on the way up, and the ride is made in silence. Michael shows Bruce to a door on the top floor, and Bruce reaches into his pocket for his wallet.

 

“Don’t worry about it, Dr. Banner,” Michael says. “Mr. Stark has already taken care of it.”

 

The door swings open and Tony grins. “Bruce! You made it!” He holds out a much-folded bill, and Michael makes it disappear. “Come on in.”

 

“You didn’t have to do this, you know,” Bruce objects as he follows Tony inside. “This is too much.”

 

“Well, we could have gone to Caesar’s Palace,” Tony replies. “But considering the penthouse there has enough room for the entire team and then some, I figured you might be more comfortable here.”

 

“Relatively speaking,” Bruce agrees, glancing around. He supposes it’s a little less opulent than some places.

 

Everything is relative, and Bruce figures he should probably get used to luxury if he’s going to be spending any time at all in Tony’s company.

 

“For the record, it went off without a hitch,” Tony says. “I managed to convince everybody that I was doing a test of the suit and some of the advanced weaponry. No one expects me to get pre-clearance, and they don’t question Iron Man.”

 

“Small favors,” Bruce agrees.

 

Tony gives him a piercing look. “So, you want to tell me what happened?”

 

Bruce doesn’t, but he figures Tony put his neck on the line, so he’s owed an explanation. “Fury alerted me to the fact that Ross was trying to replicate my efforts on the super soldier formula. I needed to stop them.”

 

Tony nods slowly. “Fair enough, but you know the team would have helped you out with that, right?”

 

“Betty was one of those involved,” Bruce says simply. “And Fury couldn’t touch them. He couldn’t be involved.”

 

Tony grimaces. “You were protecting the team. And Fury.”

 

“I was protecting the world,” Bruce says simply. “And it’s not like they can hurt me.”

 

Tony shakes his head, and then he reaches out, dragging Bruce in for a kiss. “I know you probably want to shower and sleep. I have some clean clothes for you.”

 

Bruce kisses him again, wishing he weren’t so tired. “Yeah, thanks. Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay. I’ll shower with you. We can save water, and I’ll get to put my hands on you,” Tony replies with a lascivious grin.

 

Bruce can’t object to that, and wouldn’t even if he wanted to. “Yeah, okay.”

 

Tony surprises Bruce by keeping his touch mostly impersonal, running a hand down Bruce’s back, brushing against his hip, and against his chest. If Bruce weren’t so tired, he might be worried that they’re moving too fast, but he’s exhausted, and he’s kind of used to being naked in front of other people at this point.

 

He’s just so damn grateful to be clean again, grateful for the spare toothbrush that Tony produces, and the clean underwear.

 

When he collapses into bed, Tony’s right behind him, spooning up behind him. “This okay?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce murmurs a sleepy assent, and then puts a hand over Tony’s, just before he slips down into sleep.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony sleeps too, although he doesn’t expect to do so. It’s just so damn good to have Bruce next to him, his body putting off heat that Tony finds intoxicating.

 

He’s the first to wake, and it’s not surprising, given how long Bruce had been up. He stays where he is, feeling the heat from Bruce’s body, smelling the sharp, clean scent of him.

 

Bruce stirs slightly, and Tony pushes his nose against the back of Bruce’s neck.

 

Bruce murmurs wordlessly, then says, “Tony?”

 

“Yeah, it’s me,” Tony assures him. “You okay?”

 

“I’m in a big, comfortable bed with a really hot guy,” Bruce replies, a smile in his voice. “You do the math.”

 

“Easy enough,” Tony replies, “since I’m in the same bed.”

 

“Just without the hot guy,” Bruce replies.

 

“Excuse you,” Tony says. “Have you seen yourself?”

 

“I own a mirror, Tony,” Bruce replies, rolling over to face Tony. “Which is why I said it.”

 

“I’d say you had no discernment, but you’re in bed with me,” Tony replies, and then dips his head for a kiss that quickly turns heated. “Which means you have very good taste.”

 

Bruce laughs. “Or I’ve gone insane.”

 

“Who says the two have to be mutually exclusive?”

 

They just kiss for a long time, stretching out next to each other in the bed. Tony catalogs the sounds Bruce makes, learning what he likes, knowing he’ll use the information later.

 

“What do you want?” Bruce asks quietly after what seems like a long time.

 

“Whatever you want,” Tony replies, and catches Bruce’s slightly exasperated expression; it’s becoming very familiar. “No, seriously, whatever you want is good with me. I have supplies, or we can—”

 

Bruce looks almost bewildered, and Tony wonders how long it’s been for him. As far as he knows, Bruce doesn’t really date, so maybe he needs to start off simple.

 

“I could blow you,” he offers.

 

Bruce blinks, and has to clear his throat. “I, uh. Yeah. That would be good.”

 

Tony kneels and pulls Bruce’s underwear off. “Prepare to have your mind _blown_.”

 

Bruce snorts, and some of the tension leaves him, which is exactly what Tony had been hoping would happen. “Promises, promises.”

 

“So, just out of curiosity, how long has it been for you?” Tony asks, beginning to work Bruce with his hand.

 

“Do close calls count?” Bruce asks, breathing a little harder.

 

Tony palms Bruce’s balls. “Not even a little bit.”

 

“Pretty sure this isn’t the right time to talk about it,” Bruce replies.

 

“Let me guess, Betty.”

 

“You seriously want to talk about this now?”

 

“You’re here with me, right?” Tony replies, although then he swallows Bruce down, which seems to short circuit his brain and deprive him of his ability to form coherent sentences.

 

Just like Tony had hoped.

 

Bruce manages a warning just before he comes, but Tony swallows without difficulty. It’s been a long time since he’d given a guy head, but Tony doesn’t think Bruce notices that he’s not exactly an expert.

 

“So, best blow job ever?” Tony asks because he never knows when to leave well enough alone.

 

“It ranks right up there,” Bruce admits, sounding a little dazed. “Also, you’re ridiculous.”

 

“It’s been a long time,” Tony replies. “I wanted to be sure you’d come back for more.”

 

Bruce smiles. “For the record, you could have given me the worst blowjob in the history of the world, and I’d still be here.”

 

Tony knows he’s got a goofy smile on his face. “Is that right?”

 

“And also, for the record, yes, it was Betty, and no, she doesn’t know I was there, nor will she ever know,” Bruce says quietly. “She’s moved on.”

 

Tony stretches out next to him. “And you haven’t?”

 

“I wasn’t sure I had until fairly recently,” Bruce admits. “I just—didn’t want her hurt. I still love her, but we’re different people than we were when we fell in love.”

 

Tony presses his lips to Bruce’s bare shoulder. “Aren’t we all?”

 

Bruce runs his fingers through Tony’s hair. “Well, maybe _we_ aren’t.”

 

Tony hauls Bruce in close. “Yeah?”

 

“I’m just surprised you’re not pissed off that I lied to you,” Bruce admits.

 

Tony laughs. “Are you kidding? You’re hot when you’re being sneaky. You’re always hot, but deviousness as a trait is highly underrated, especially in our line of work.”

 

Bruce kisses him, holding Tony tightly. “I think you might be right.”

 

“About what?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce touches the wristband that’s still on his right wrist. “There’s nothing wrong with a little subterfuge. It keeps me on my toes.”

 

“Nothing worse than a bored genius,” Tony replies.

 

Bruce pulls Tony closer. “Well, let’s see what we can do to keep you interested.”

 

Tony figures they’re both up for the challenge.


End file.
